Waiting on Wednesday: Harbinger and The Chaos

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and features books that we just can't wait to get our hands on!

This week's picks:


Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne

Goodreads' description:


"Girl, Interrupted meets Beautiful Creatures in this fast-paced thriller

When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn’t expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange wak- ing visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she’s going crazy. Fast.

But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she’s come home. She’s even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red.

Faye knows she’s the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can’t trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her—and the rest of the world too.

Rich, compelling writing will keep the pages turning in this riveting and tautly told psychological thriller."

Well, I was not a fan of Beautiful Creatures, so I'm hoping it's not much like that one. The premise sounds totally bizarre but it's been blurbed by Tamora Pierce as “Heart-wrenching, terrifying, hot, and un-put-down-able!” so really, it HAS to be good. Plus, that cover is to die for. Seriously, the colours are so vibrant and atmospheric, and it's supposed to look like a tarot card, right? So awesome.


The Chaos by Nalo Hopkinson

Goodreads' description:

"Sixteen-year-old Scotch struggles to fit in—at home she’s the perfect daughter, at school she’s provocatively sassy, and thanks to her mixed heritage, she doesn’t feel she belongs with the Caribbeans, whites, or blacks. And even more troubling, lately her skin is becoming covered in a sticky black substance that can’t be removed. While trying to cope with this creepiness, she goes out with her brother—and he disappears. A mysterious bubble of light just swallows him up, and Scotch has no idea how to find him. Soon, the Chaos that has claimed her brother affects the city at large, until it seems everyone is turning into crazy creatures. Scotch needs to get to the bottom of this supernatural situation ASAP before the Chaos consumes everything she’s ever known—and she knows that the black shadowy entity that’s begun trailing her every move is probably not going to help.


A blend of fantasy and Caribbean folklore, at its heart this tale is about identity and self acceptance—because only by acknowledging her imperfections can Scotch hope to save her brother."

I really know nothing of Caribbean folklore, but I love that it's being incorporated into a YA fantasy novel! We need more POC books in the genre. It also sounds like there's a great emphasis on family here, and the bond between Scotch and her brother, rather than the ubiquitous emphasis on romance. I like the shades of pink on the cover, the shadowed skyline, and the clean, bold font. Not a big fan of faces floating in the sky on covers, but I'm happy to see Scotch hasn't been whitewashed!

What books are you waiting for?